Articles by Costa Christopoulos

A large high pressure system will continue to creep up the Carolina coast today, keeping skies clear and sunny in Boston. This high will keep weather cool and dry through Saturday, when an approaching upper level disturbance will bring a chance of rain to the area.

The departing low-pressure system which brought rain to the area this morning is now heading off into eastern Canada. Tomorrow, skies should clear as northwesterly winds blow cooler, drier air into the region and high pressure builds in. For Halloween, the high pressure system will creep up the eastern seaboard and keep skies clear for Boston. Halloween night looks to be a bit chilly, with temperatures in the low 40s°F through the late evening. As we enter November, we leave the statistically snow-free month of October behind. Students new to Boston have already begun to question the reality of our beloved winter weather, but we’re climatologically approaching snowier times. Boston typically sees its first measurable snowfall around November 4, but the first snow day varies significantly from year to year. Snowfall greater than 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) typically arrives around December 5.

Just over a week ago, forecast models remained uncertain about an intensifying Category 3 hurricane near the Bahamas. Luckily, Joaquin scooted harmlessly into the Atlantic and out of our weather forecast. By now the former hurricane has weakened into a non-tropical system, and it is expected to bringing gusty winds and rain to Spain.

A more-or-less benign weather pattern will lead to cloudy skies and mild temperatures into the weekend. For the next few days, a so-called ‘backdoor front’ will influence New England weather. In contrast to typical cold fronts, which channel in cooler air from the northwest, backdoor cold fronts approach from the northeast. During the spring months in New England, this often means cooler temperatures and clouds as air blows over ocean waters.

A late-season push of cool air has reminded Bostonians of a dreadfully active winter. Yesterday, Boston saw light rain with sleet mixing in at times. A low pressure system to the south has pushed a tongue of warmer air into region, causing snow to melt as it falls to the surface. After passing through the warm layer, precipitation refreezes and reaches the ground as sleet.

Slush filled the streets yesterday as temperatures around Boston broke 40 °F for the first time since early January. Bostonians have gained a sense of “weather relativity” this week. Some may call the warmer weather a return to normalcy; for others, it’s a heat wave. Most of the brutal weather this winter resulted from a series of persistent troughs over the eastern U.S. Luckily, that pattern has broken down, allowing warmer air to surge northward.

An Arctic front brought some of the coldest air of the season to New England last night. Lows in the Boston area dipped below zero. Today, a tightening pressure gradient will create gusty winds, dropping wind chill values to as low as –15 °F (–26 °C). Increasing clouds signal a more active weather pattern this weekend.

Bitter cold temperatures, rampant snowfall, and near-hurricane-force winds will accompany what is likely to be a record-setting winter storm. Originating from Alberta, Canada, the system is now tracking up the eastern coast of New England and wreaking havoc for millions. On Tuesday morning the low will undergo rapid intensification in a process called “bombogenesis,” with central pressure dropping more than 24 millibars in 24 hours. Tuesday’s weather will consist of heavy snowfall and whiteout conditions as the system slowly pivots around the southeastern coast of Cape Cod. With persistent northerly winds gusting to 50 mph, expect blizzard conditions and subzero windchill values.

The pesky trough which kept weather in the area cold and rainy this week will gradually transition to the east tonight. A ridge will begin to influence the eastern US tomorrow, allowing highs to reach the lower 40s°F (5°C). On Sunday, the ridge amplifies allowing much warmer air to overspread the region. Southerly winds will notch highs into the lower 50s°F (10°C) and bring overcast skies to the area. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. We finally make it into the lower 60s °F (10°C) on Monday, but the trade-off is rainy weather.

MIT students had to deal with more than just Psets and exams this week. A potent low pressure system formed just off the coast of New England, bringing gusty winds and heavy rain to the area. Since Monday, Boston has picked up over 3 inches of rain and winds have gusted to as high as 60 mph!